The next youngster leaves Salzburg and brings Austria’s soccer series champions international reputation and enormous transfer proceeds. In Salzburg, Karim Adeyemi matured into a German national team player, four years later he probably left the club with the Bundesliga top scorer and for the media rumored 35 million euros plus bonuses as a “king transfer”.
Wals-Siezenheim does not mourn departures, on Wednesday the previous record transfer was celebrated. Sports director Christoph Freund described the Adeyemi file as an “extreme success story” for everyone involved. Sifting out talent, training it and selling it profitably has been the credo in Salzburg since 2015. “Now with Karim we have made the king’s transfer. I wouldn’t mind if we had success stories like this a few more times in the future,” said Freund.
There is no official information regarding the transfer fee for the “popular guy” according to Freund. Salzburg is said to have earned around 30 million euros for Naby Keita and Patson Daka. Adeyemi is Salzburg’s previous record transfer, Freund also noted.
Adeyemi moved from Unterhaching to Salzburg in the summer of 2018. Austria’s series champion is said to have transferred a little more than three million euros for the then 16-year-old. The current fourth division team from the south of Munich is now heavily involved in the BVB deal. The regional league club collects up to eight million euros, whereby the sum can increase once more if the club is resold.
In Dortmund, the 20-year-old Adeyemi follows directly on Tormaschine Erling Haaland, who recommended himself for his future engagement at Manchester City with a whopping 85 goals in 88 competitive games. The successor does not see it as an unpleasant task, rather the speed dribbler took himself out of the game on Wednesday as a Haaland replacement. “Because you can’t compare us as players. I’ll try to bring my style to the team.”
Adeyemi says he doesn’t feel any pressure, “just anticipation” for Dortmund. He also leaves Salzburg wistfully. “Here in Salzburg you can only feel good. You experience so many beautiful things and there are so many good people around who just want to help you. It’s just a blessed place.”
He’s not quite finished in Austria yet. With 19 goals, he is well on the way to winning the top scorer’s crown, his first pursuer Giacomo Vrioni (WSG Tirol) has 15 goals to his credit. “I would definitely like to have the 2 before that,” said Adeyemi with two games left once morest Rapid and Klagenfurt. “Becoming the top scorer is the even bigger goal.”
Adeyemi’s path is prototypical for Salzburg’s approach. “We put a lot of money into our hands for a young player,” said Freund regarding the commitment at the time. “We will continue on this path.” The now plentiful transfer proceeds are reinvested in the next talents. “Of course we only have the chance to get the best talent from very young players,” said Freund.
In the argumentative tug-of-war once morest top European clubs, he can cite striking world careers: Erling Haaland, Sadio Mané, Naby Keita and Patson Daka are the names of the best-known young men, who all brought in at least around 20 million euros.
Benjamin Sesko, Junior Adamu (20) and Sekou Koita (22), who is returning from a cruciate ligament rupture, are available as Adeyemi substitutes and strike partners for Noah Okafor (21), who is also being courted fiercely. And then there is Roko Simic, who moved from Croatia to Salzburg in 2021 for a reported four million euros. For partner club Liefering, the 1.90 m tall center forward scored 17 goals in league two and seven in the youth league.
The squad planning for the new season is completed with “80 to 90 percent”, said Freund. “One or the other will leave the club.” With the Brasilo striker Fernando and the Belgian Ignace Van der Brempt (20), two advances were made. “Ignace is already there, but probably in a different role next season,” Freund said. This points to the departure of right-back Rasmus Kristensen. The day-to-day business for Salzburg and Freund continues.
